What is this?

SSmith1226

Does anyone have any idea about what this trumpet is, what the origin is, and its potential value? It belonged to a friend of mine whose uncle passed away and left it to him. I have no idea whether it functions fully, partially, or not at all. Thanks in advance for any input!

Curlydoc

Wow! I would love to have it.

flugelgirl

Depending on size, I’ve seen Eb alto flugel that look similar. Without seeing it in person, not sure !

SSmith1226

@flugelgirl
I posted this on TH and a TH Member pointed out that the engraving transliterated to “Harbin”, from the Cyrillic. Harbin is a city in China that many Russians and other Europeans moved to over many centuries, especially the 19th The mid 20th centuries.

Newell Post

Might be a really old pocket cornet. Just guessting.

administrator

It looks bomb proof.

Bob Pixley

Looks like a European rotary valve pocket trumpet, but it’s hard to tell without a reference to its size.

barliman2001

Definitely of Russian origin. The water key is normal size, so that is an indicator of how tiny it is. Rotary cornet for the discant voice of Russian military music (which still, to this day, distinguishes between cornet and trumpet parts, the cornet parts being the top parts sometimes reaching far above the staff).
Harbin, by the way, was at one time the administrative centre for the Chinese Eastern Railway, a Russian-built and -owned extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Harbin in fact was a Russian city transplanted into what is now China, had a large Russian naval base complete with naval orchestra and several ship's bands as well as a navy-owned musical instruments factory that stamped their instruments with the name of the town and a serial number. Very few of these instruments survive nowadays.
After the 1917 revolution, Harbin was cut off from the evolving Soviet Union and became a long-lasting Russian Imperial enclave, only fading away in the late 1930s.
Congratulations for having such an instrument in at least optically good condition!

Kehaulani

Fascinating, man. Thanks.

BTW, I missed playing Peter Menin's Canzona, Holst's Jupiter, Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Festival Overture. I didn't belong to a band, but I still miss playing them.

SSmith1226

@barliman2001
Barliman2001 hit the nail on the head! “Here is the rest of the story”, which I will title, “If only the pocket trumpet could talk.”
An email from my friend, after he was sent Barliman2001’s post said, “Thanks Steve. I know a little about my Uncle and what he told me about the cornet. He was born in 1885. When he was about 17 or 18 I think he was conscripted into the Russian Army. He was a musician. He played in the band. I’m guessing he might have been stationed in Harbin while the Russian army was building the Siberian RR. There was a significant Jewish population in Harbin with a symphony and a Yiddish Theatre. After the Russo Japanese war broke out in 1904 He thought they would send him to the front. He defected. Not sure if he ran from or to Harbin. The only things he brought with him to America was this trumpet which he said he played in the army marching band and two gold Russian coins which I have 1 of them. When he came to America he connected with a former friend musician from Russia ( perhaps Harbin) Jacob Jacobs and composed Yiddish music for the Yiddish theater under the name Yasha Kreitzberg. Not sure why he changed his name from Jack Saxonsky( Saxon). He also was friends with another musician who I read spent time in Harbin Alexander Olshanevsky. He became fairly well known and his works are in the Yivo museum in NYC. The story and dates are hazy. I Interesting story. I guess if the pocket trumpet could talk ????”

Kehaulani

Very interesting, thanks.

Regarding changing names, I once knew an American-Indian guy named Charlie Humpaneagle. Other guys in the band kept telling Charlie he should change his name, much to his constant irritation.

Finally, one day he came to rehearsal looking very content. Like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Everybody noticed this. Finally, one guy asked him,

"Hey, man. You look so relieved. What did you do"?
"Changed my name", he said.
"Cool" the other guy said. "What'd you change it to?"
"Ed" he retorted.

barliman2001

@Kehaulani That's more or less a new take on that old Nazi German joke... a guy goes to his town hall and tells the civil servant he wants to change his name. "Well, let's hear your name to see whether a change is permissible." - "Adolf Shittyfuck" - "Oh yes, I can understand you don't want that name changed. But our Führer has made such a change possible. What would you like your new name to be?" - "Albert Shittyfuck".

Kehaulani

@barliman2001 said in What is this?:

@Kehaulani That's more or less a new take on that old Nazi German joke... a guy goes to his town hall and tells the civil servant he wants to change his name. "Well, let's hear your name to see whether a change is permissible." - "Adolf Shittyfuck" - "Oh yes, I can understand you don't want that name changed. But our Führer has made such a change possible. What would you like your new name to be?" - "Albert Shittyfuck".

Hmm. I first heard it in an Air Force band back in the 60s.